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The Secret River

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The Secret River

By: Kate Grenville
Narrated by: Rupert Penry-Jones
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About this listen

 Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, 2006.

London, 1807: William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart, Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake, for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life.

The Thornhills arrive in a harsh and alien land that they do not understand and begin a life that feels like a death sentence. But among the convicts, there is a rumour that freedom can be bought - that "unclaimed" land up the Hawkesbury River offers an opportunity to start afresh. When William claims a hundred acres for himself, he is shocked to find Aboriginal people already living on the river - and that other recent arrivals are finding their own ways to respond to them. Soon William, a man neither better nor worse than most, has to make the most difficult decision of his life.

©2005 Kate Grenville (P)2007 Hachette Audio Fiction Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction

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Critic reviews

"A very fine, albeit terrifying writer." ( Irish Times)
"Kate Grenville is a writer of extraordinary talent." ( The New York Times)
"Grenville writes exactingly and with passion about the Australian landscape... The Secret River is a sad book, beautifully written and, at times, almost unbearable with the weight of loss." ( Observer)
"A 'belter of a reading' and Penny Jones 'brillantly captures the character of William Thornhill'." ( Daily Express)
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Most relevant
loved it. very good story woulx have lkked more info o latter part of story

well narrated

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Great narrations, really enjoyed the story about a point of history I didn’t know that much about

Brilliant read

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I just love Kate Grenville’s writing, she is a superb wordsmith and her use of language alone would be enough to keep me listening. Although this is a somewhat gritty tale with probably a total absence of any humour, which would normally turn me off completely, I was utterly drawn in and became immersed in the life of the characters. The narration was excellent too. Thoroughly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of Kate Grenville’s work. I shall also be seeking out the narrator again.

Brilliant book

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